, 1887-12-25

1880 NhS
band was fast journeying south toward
winter quarters now-when Mizella stop.
ped her song.
pot, which way is England?" she
asked.
Over there, Mizella," the Professor
replied, pointing with his bow; way out
beyond the rising sun, there"
She laid her fair head in the palms of
her hand, and sat silently weaving herself
to and fro for a little time. Perhaps she
heard the lhrostles sweetly singing in the
hedge, and listened to the murmurs of
the Wha7fe as it flowed softly to the sea.
She turned to him in a moment and said,
as if her heart could hold it all no longer:
"Pott, | wants to 90 we're there's mus
ic and books and all sech bright thingsl"
''With-me, Mizella?"
1t came in a trembling whisper from
the musicians lips. 1t was the most dar-
ing thing the musician had ever said.
No, Pott! with Andrew
Something came into the Professors
eyes which shut all the world out and left
everything blank to him. He had heard
the story OF Andrew from kindly old
Bob. The violin moaned for the Profess
or, but finally he faltered:
"And-if Andrew never-comes2"
Mizella ~impetuously laid her warm lit
tie hand against the Professors face, and
patting it-almost as she had petted an
others beyond the sea one rare April
m~orning-said cheerily:
Then, PoUt, with vou; sure, surel''
Joe's tail never wagged so boistrously
before; and if dog ever did such a thing,
like the ''old man" of the plays, he sure.
ly said:
God bless you, my children!'
''Tinkle, tinkle. tinkle!" up and down
the West Side by streets of Chicago, in
the storm OF that merry Christmas day.
'"Tinkle, .tinkle, tinkle!''
Surely the tinkling chimed with Christ
mas bells and Christmas cheer; but if you
had once seen the tinker, all the irkling
Of his silver bells could never have assured
you that Christmas had come into his
heart.
What a bent thin body it wasl How it
leaned far forward, as if to ease the load
a tritle, and to break the force of the pelt-
ing snow! How hungry and wan and
pinched the man looked!
'Tinkle, tinkle, tinklel' up and down
the West Side by-streets of Chicago.
The snow comes faster and faster. What
care those within2 Song and laughter
reach the tinker from meanest homes.
Resting in a little court somewhat pro-
tected from the storm, a group OF boys
surrounded him, and he grinds their
skates. They chatter about some Gipsies
having a glorious old time at some house
near by. The wheel never stops its buz.
zing, and the sparks fly brightly, but the
tinker's eyes brighten more swiftly than
the runners of the skates. Away rush
the boys, with whoop and hurrah. The
tinker Is all alone. He swings his wheel
upon his tired shoulders, glides along the
little court, and, reaching an alley, intent
" regards a we'll wrapped, brown-faced
lad seated in a farm wagon, holding. a
splendid team, which has grown FESTIVE
under the storm.
All is quiet for a moment. Then the
notes of a violin are heard from the house
of which the boys had prattled. When
it ceases there is a general chorus of
laughter. and the nam "Joe" reaches
the tinker's ear. Then follows a hearty,
boistrous voice-a thousand recollections
now throng the wanderers brain-which
roars out an old Yorkshire Gypsy ballad:
THE night ha' come, the stars are out,
But, sure as Pm a Gypsy lOut,
DobbiSo " hhiot camp t1bbhlf
The stones will rattle from the hedge,
And heads will break my word | pledge!
My word pledge ny word l Pledge,
Now how needless the tinker to the
pelting storm as he %listensl
Suddendly the melody of some song is
given prelude on the violin; and now a
voice-a maiden's voice-is heard.
Has the outcast heard this voice beforeP
Are the throstles singing again 20 him,
and does he once more listen to the muir
murs of the Wharte as it softly flows out.
ward to the sea.
The voice raises and falls in sweet cad
ences so blended with the tones of the
violin that the words fail him; but clear
and strong and tender, high above the in
strument and the wild staccato of the
storm came the words of the last line:
SAVE II SWEETEST KISS FOR ME!'
The old wheel falls from the wander
er's shoulder, as did Pilgrims burden
when the great glory of the Cross shone
upon him; but something comes before
his eyes, chills his being, and for a time
all is blank to him. Within there are
CHEEKY good Dyes and all the busting
of departure, and when the tinker rises
from the SNOW covered ground he dimly
sees the wag departing. 1t is filled
with laughing, merry people, and he sees
as through a gathering mist, seated side
by side, the maiden who sang and the
musician who played, and the dog at
which they are all shouting Joel JOEL
~ioyously banks at the horses heads.
On speeds the departing Gipsies, and,
with a stiied prayer and a pitiful moan.
"Mlzella, racLlie-oh, MizelIal' the des-
pairing tinker dashes after. Out through
the city's sights and sounds, past gas
lamps flaming in the storm, past i~ingling
horse cars filed with merry, CHEEKY
people, past Ginning sleigh-bells drown
ing registering voices in their musical
holiday cheer, and then faster, and faster,
over the Riverside road, with the moan.
ing cry ever following.
"Mizella, rdchhie oh, Mizella |"
AT last the pretty suburb of Riverside
is reached. Here some Christmas festi.
witty has drawn crowds in sleighs to the
great hotel.
J AS the loaded wagon dashes through